


What to do...

by MyseryLuvsCompany



Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: ...sort of, AU, Alternate Ending, Gen, Magic Reveal, The Fires of Idirsholas, possible spoilers!, s02e12 coda
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-12-25
Updated: 2012-12-25
Packaged: 2017-11-22 09:32:06
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,305
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/608343
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MyseryLuvsCompany/pseuds/MyseryLuvsCompany
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"We've got to do something..."</p>
            </blockquote>





	What to do...

**Author's Note:**

> This little beauty was a spur of the moment kind of thing and has become my beloved little pet. Morgana as a character has always fascinated me, but especially moreso with that evil streak of hers yet even I would love to have seen her come back to us at some point. This one is kinda nipping that entire evil fiasco in the butt before it begins. Haha. Enjoy!

_"Morgana: He's not going to survive out there._  
Merlin: I know.  
Morgana: We've got to do something." 

_~ The Fires of Idirsholas_

\------------------------------------------------------------

“We've got to do something.”

Merlin's eyes swung to Morgana as she spoke. Her own eyes were fixed on the doors to the room, and her voice almost quavered. She didn't want Arthur hurt.... yet she was willing to let Camelot sleep so Morgause could kill Uther.

The actions were contradictory of one another at best.

The dragon had said that the source of the enchantment had to be destroyed to end it. The source was Morgana. Perhaps, if she didn’t want Arthur hurt, she wasn’t too far gone. A small spark of hope blossomed in his chest and he so desperately wanted to fan it into a flame.

Swallowing to wet his already parched throat, Merlin decided to take a chance. A chance that Morgana was still a friend to Camelot and Arthur. It would destroy the prince to know the woman he thought of as a sister was betraying him and Merlin seriously hoped it never came to that.

“You're the only one who can,” he said carefully, his eyes remaining fixed on the woman before him. Now it was Morgana's turn to look at him in surprise. Their eyes held for a few moments, as if she were trying to find an answer in his, before she broke the contact and glanced back at the doors.

“I-I don't know what you're talking about,” the Lady replied, though Merlin didn’t miss the momentary stutter.

The clashing of swords grew louder and the young warlock knew they didn’t have much time if Arthur was to survive this. He had to swallow once more, pinning all his hopes on the belief that their Morgana was still in there.

“He's going to die Morgana,” Merlin uttered, his tone deadly serious. “Morgause is going to kill him and then come for Uther. Whatever you feel towards the King, would you let Arthur be killed so Uther could die?” Morgana opened and closed her mouth a few times, her eyes frantically glancing between Merlin and the doors, obviously trying to figure out the answer to his question.

After a few torturous moments, the dark haired warlock saw tears beginning to fill her eyes.

“No,” she whispered finally, and Merlin felt that spark flare inside his chest as their eyes held one another. He had to help her.

“Then listen to me carefully Morgana,” he began slowly, stepping closer to the King's ward, not breaking their staring contest lest he lose her. “Morgause is using you to leave us defenseless. Her spell needs a living host to maintain it. You are that host.” The moment that revelation sank in, Merlin could see the horror dawning on Morgana's features. Morgause may have enlisted her help, but she clearly hadn’t outlined exactly what was involved in their plan. “A way to end the spell is to kill the host,” this earned him a terrified look but he pushed on, blindly following his instincts. His magic. “However you can stop it yourself. Close your eyes and look deep inside yourself. Find the thing that doesn’t belong; that feels wrong inside you..."

Merlin trailed off as he watched Morgana slowly do as he instructed. Her latent magic wouldn’t be enough to end this spell by herself, but it was enough to allow her the ability to identify the spell inside her being. A normal person wouldn’t be able to.

For what had to be the hundredth time in the last few months, Merlin thanked Gaius for his magic book. It had spoken of magic users being able to tell when a spell was cast on them by finding the seed planted by it. Morgana needed to find Morgause's seed so he could destroy it.  
There was a crash against the heavy doors but Merlin spoke again, trying to keep her focused.

“Take my hands and keep your eyes closed,” he told the pale skinned woman, watching her face for any signs of discovery as his hands took both of hers. Then suddenly, she gasped like someone had doused her in cold water and her grip tightened. Her lips were parted but her eyes remained firmly shut.

“I... I can feel it,” she said, her voice nothing more than a thread of soft sound. Merlin nodded even though she couldn’t see him.

“Focus on it. All of you. Block out everything else and just focus.” Merlin waited a few heartbeats before he let his own magic swell inside him. It was itching to be released, to leap to his bidding, but he held it back until he was sure Morgana was focused. She was the connection and he'd need it to destroy the seed. A moment passed in absolute silence and then Merlin opened the floodgates. His eyes were burning as they always did, but he needed no incantations for this. It was instinct, pure and simple. Find and destroy. He felt his magic wind through his body and outwards, entering Morgana's and following the thread of her concentration. It didn't take long to locate the seed within her thanks to this.

It was small, the size of perhaps half a grain of rice, but it was dark and twisted. Ugly. A vile thing created by dark magic. Merlin could feel Morgana's revulsion at seeing it for herself, but he pushed that aside. He didn’t have much time.

Drawing all his power together in a single point of white hot energy, Merlin incinerated the seed, making sure he got it all. He wouldn’t let Morgana be used like that again. Ever. He faintly heard Morgana's answering gasp, and her eyes flew open involuntarily only to widen a moment later. She could no doubt see the proof of what he was doing in his eyes. He'd deal with that later. For now he needed to be sure she was free from the spell.

As he slowly withdrew, Merlin ensured nothing remained of the vile enchantment before pulling back completely and into his own body once more. Morgana was still looking at him shocked, but before he could say anything, the doors burst open and in flew Arthur, landing in a heap at their feet. The fatigue he was suffering meant he was slow back to his feet, but already Merlin could see his color was improving. Not long and the whole of Camelot would begin to stir, free from the spell making them sleep.

Arthur swung his sword and Merlin noted he was sporting a few bloody spots but nothing too drastic. The Prince had held his own well. The protective stand he took before them was only broken for a moment as Arthur glanced at Merlin and the prone King. “Remind me never again to leave you in charge of anyone's life,” the blonde man muttered and Merlin couldn’t help but grin at his cheek in the midst of battle.

The Knights were advancing on them when they suddenly froze and Morgause came strutting in-between them like a peacock. Morgana swallowed as she looked at the sorceress, who's eyes were darting between the three of them. It took a few moments for the realisation to dawn on her features that her spell was gone. And a groan was heard. The King was waking up!

“Morgana, what have you done?” Morgause demanded. “Is this not what you wanted? A world free of Uther Pendragon and his hatred?” It took Morgana a moment but she eventually shook her head, ignoring the look of surprise on Arthur's face.

“Not at the cost of my brother,” she replied firmly and Merlin wanted to hug her. With one sentence she'd announced her loyalty, and told Morgause clearly where she stood. Alongside Arthur. Not her. More people began to stir. The guards by the doors, and one of the knights which had been in the room when they'd entered. Morgause glanced around quickly, clearly realizing she had lost her advantage as Uther sat up and shook his head. The King took in the scene and almost jumped to his feet in his eagerness to join the fray. The Knights of Medhir were still as stone almost as Morgause re-evaluated her position.

Merlin could pinpoint the moment she made up her mind. Her chin lifted ever so slightly and her eyes turned cold.

“Very well then,” was all the warning they had before Morgause raised her hand and cast a spell, shooting flame at them all. The Knights came back to life just as the guards drew their weapons and all hell broke loose.

Arthur knocked Morgana out of the way as he and Merlin dodged the fire and Merlin's mind was racing. Morgause had them on the back foot. She had no need to hide her magic and Arthur's sword was little use against sorcery no matter what Uther believed. The men couldn't get close enough to her to land a killing blow, and the Knights were beating down the few guards in the room. They didn't have time to wait for Camelot's forces to come for them.

Merlin had no choice.

If they wanted to live long enough, or at all, he'd have to take on Morgause himself.

Resolve set, when she sent the next plume at them, Merlin dodged it, as did Arthur, but the warlock sent a shock wave right back at her, his eyes flashing golden as he hissed the incantation. Morgause was quick though and blocked the attack. Though he knew that Arthur, Uther and everyone else had seen that, the threat was too prominent to worry about their reactions right now.

“Well, well, well. The servant is a sorcerer. Who'd have guessed,” Morgause taunted him. What was it with evil beings and saying that to him? Sigan had said something similar when he'd seen Merlin do magic. Yeah, he got it. Unlikely, funny, ironic. Whatever it was, he didn't care right now.

“I'm giving you one chance Morgause,” Merlin replied, ignoring the taunt and focusing on the task at hand. “Stop your Knights and leave Camelot forever.” This earned him a harsh laugh.

“You think you can protect them all at once? I doubt even you have enough power to do so,” came the blonde's reply before she suddenly splintered a part of the door into dozens of deadly missiles and launched them at Merlin, Arthur, Morgana and the King. The smirk on her face was one of triumph until Merlin raised his other hand and they all halted in mid air, a few inches from their targets. Uther and Arthur looked shocked, as did Morgana, but hers was lessened and more awe than anything else.

Morgause, seeing that tactic had failed, hurled everything she had at Merlin, hoping to break him. Holding the projectiles she continued to throw at them all back, and trying to block magical attacks on top of that was getting to him and his brow beaded with sweat. The clash of steel on steel was ringing all around them as Camelot did its best to hold off the Knights of Medhir and Merlin held off Morgause. He didn't know how much more he could take.

A figure moved to his right and Merlin saw Uther make a more for Morgause, who'd seen it too. Her next attack aimed straight for the King and Merlin had to divert his attention from the shield to stop it. He barely managed to and it grazed the older man's arm, burning the flesh. Morgause saw her chance and seized it with both hands. Arthur, realising the danger to Merlin, darted in front of the warlock, intending to take the blow while he defended his father, but just as the shaft was set to pierce the Prince, it rebounded off something and flew back at Morgause, who barely got away from it.

All three men, and the sorceress, looked in shock at Morgana, who's hand was raised and who's eyes were glowing golden just like Merlin's. She was shaking, but whatever had responded to the sight of her friends in trouble had just saved them. While everyone else was distracted, Merlin took his chance.

No words were needed for this one. Like with Nimueh, over a year before, this was his pure power coming to the front. No need for lightning. Morgause liked fire. Well, fire would be her undoing.

“You should have taken my offer,” he said in a voice much like the one he had used on Nimueh all that time ago. Merlin summoned all his power and turned his hand to the blonde woman, using his anger for what she had tried to do to Morgana, for trying to kill Arthur and Uther, for everything, to fuel the fire he built inside her.

It only took a few moments, but eventually Morgause screamed as the flames burst from inside her and consumed her body, swallowing her whole. When he was certain nothing of the sorceress remained to ever bother them again, he let the fire die, the Knights going with it as they turned into piles of rust and dust, following their mistress into oblivion.

Merlin lowered his hand and all the objects which had been suspended in the air fell harmlessly to the ground. The fire in his own eyes faded and he looked at the scorch mark on the ground.

All that was left of Morgause. Good riddance, was all Merlin could think.

He knew there would be consequences of today, for everyone involved. Arthur knew Morgana had betrayed them to Morgause, and of Merlin's magic. Uther and Morgana both knew of it too.

The battle was over and Camelot was safe, but all of their futures were now even more uncertain than before it had all begun...

**Author's Note:**

> If you would like to follow my updates on tumblr, I have a tag [here](http://myseryluvscompany.tumblr.com/tagged/adventures%20in%20fanfic) solely for that. This will be used for updates and posts about new stories. In addition, I also write prompts and answer questions occasionally over there.


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